


knowledge has a price, no matter how small

by shadowcat500



Series: Plaguetober 2020 [26]
Category: Original Work
Genre: Gen, Oracles, Plague Doctors, Plaguetober 2020
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-26
Updated: 2020-10-26
Packaged: 2021-03-08 18:28:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 578
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27211228
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shadowcat500/pseuds/shadowcat500
Summary: Jacob goes to an oracle of Swift for any news of a cure.
Series: Plaguetober 2020 [26]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1948417





	knowledge has a price, no matter how small

**Author's Note:**

> 26/10 Omen

When he was younger, Jacob always wondered why Swift’s temples were so smoky. Surely having a temple that asthma sufferers could enter safely was more important than adding a weird mystic vibe to the place.

Nowadays, he still agrees with that point. Maybe the future isn’t meant to be clear, but the way through the Temple absolutely should be. Still, he has more important things to think about: namely, quietly panicking over whether the small pouch of herbs he brought as an offering will be enough for a prophecy.

The corridors branching off of the main room of the temple are windowless and pitch dark in the corners the torches don’t reach, grey stone stretching on and on, occasionally split by a doorway blocked by half-a-dozen translucent sheets. It takes a listen at eight of those doorways before he finds one not currently in use by another pilgrim seeking news of the future, but he finds it all the same.

The prophet looks almost bored on their stool, slouched with a hand propping up their face.

“What do you want to know?”

Jacob jumps before stammering out his question. “What can you tell me about curing the plague?”

They sigh slightly. Probably been asked this question a hundred times by now. “Same as every other oracle across Ufros has to say.” Their voice changes and their shoulders hunch around their head. “ _The only one who can cure the plague is the last survivor of Stormpoint Village._ That’s all I can tell you.”

“‘All you can tell me’ as in there’s something stopping you or that there’s nothing more to say?”

They shrug. “All I can say. I can throw in a free prophecy if you want, considering the first barely even counted considering you had probably heard it before.”

“Hm. Is there a way to ease the symptoms, or keep the patient alive for longer so a cure can be made?”

They lurch forward like they’re about to puke, and the low groan that fills the air seems to attest to that theory, before they suddenly jerk back up with a manic glint to their eye. “ _Finally_!” The voice that comes from behind the veil is unfamiliar, even from all the prophecies Jacob has heard from Swift’s priests before: higher pitched, with a faster beat to the sentences and an accent from the Northwest Darklands. “Can you believe you’re the first person to ask that? Try mixing some mint, marigold and ginger together in some bloodfruit juice and that’ll stave off the coma for a while. The plague hurts like hellfire to have, so I doubt many will want to even try it, but it’ll keep the ones brave enough to try it alive till the little doctor can make the cure.” The priest’s shoulders slump and they collapse to the floor.

Another priest rushes in, takes in the collapsed body and the surprised-looking plague doctor standing above it, and makes the best choice they can in the current situation: “My good, uh, doctor, I think you should leave.”

Jacob is rushed out of the temple almost before he can grab his cane (admittedly cane is a strong word for the branch he found on the way here), but he manages to drop the small pouch of dried herbs that seem to stave off the illness on a small stone shelf as the priest takes him past it. Never let anyone say Jacob lacks respect for the gods.

**Author's Note:**

> i know the title isnt that great. you try coming up with thirty-two titles in the space of a month
> 
> Check out my [ tumblr](https://existentialcrisisetcetera.tumblr.com/tagged/zach%20writes)!
> 
> Comments and kudos appreciated!


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